NATURE TERRITORY February 2018 Newsletter of the Northern Territory Field Naturalists' Club Inc. In This Issue

February Meeting p. 2 * February Field Trip p. 3 January Field Trip Report p. 4 BitsNPieces p. 5 * Upcoming Activities p. 5 Book Review p. 6 * Beast of the Month p. 8 ChitterChatter p. 9 * Club notices p. 11

Club web-site: http://ntfieldnaturalists.org.au/

This photograph, entitled ?Osbeckia australiana at Rapid Creek?, was Runner-up in the Flora category in the 2017 Northern Territory Field Naturalists? Club Wildlife Photographic Competition. Its story is on page 8 in this newsletter. Photo: Lesley Alford. FOR THE DIARY

February Meeting: Wed 14 February - Wildlife Forensics with Joannah Lee

February Field Trip: Sat 17 February - Indopacific Marine

See pages 2-3 for more details

Disclaimer: The views expressed in Nature Territory are not necessarily those of the NT Field Naturalists' Club Inc. or members of its Committee. February Meeting Wildlife CSI ? Tools of the Trade presented by Joannah Lee

Wednesday 14 February, 7.45 pm, CDU Casuarina, Room BLUE 2.1.51

Summary: The illegal trade in wildlife is a serious and growing crime and one to which Australia is not immune. Worldwide it is thought to cost between US$10 and $20 billion dollars annually. The trafficking of is a known feature of the illegal trade in wildlife and, as a result of their beauty and charm, Australia?s parrots are commonly targeted. This presentation explores a number of techniques including microscopy and DNA technologies that can be utilised to assist in the investigation of instances of illegal trading in wildlife using the Glossy Black-Cockatoo (a species particularly vulnerable to poaching as a result of its rarity and as it is difficult to breed in captivity) as a model . Biography: I have been a practicing Forensic Scientist since 1998, initially with the Biology Galah smuggled in post. Photo: Australian Customs Service Team of the Australian Federal Police and then subsequently with the Forensic Biology Unit, Northern Territory Police. My major cases include the Bali bombings and the Norfolk Island murder along with a range of other complex cases. I completed my PhD in Wildlife Forensics at the University of Canberra whilst leading the AFPs Biology Team and have given a variety of lectures in a range of forums. Whilst my professional career has focused on human forensics my interests are broad and I have also been involved in business improvement and strategic planning and am currently seconded to the Strategic Policy Unit of the Northern Territory Police Fire and Emergency Services.

Purpose-made egg carrying vest used to smuggle fertile eggs. Live pigeons smuggled in man's tights. Photo: Australian Photo: Australian Customs Service Customs Service

Page 2 Nature Territory - February 2018 February Field Trip Explore Charles Darwin National Park with Tissa Ratnayeke Sunday 18 February, 8.30 am With views across the bay to the nearby city, this national park is a mixture of tropical savanna woodlands and important mangrove habitats. While this field trip will predominantly explore the woodlands, sections of the path will pass in close proximity to the mangroves and hopefully enable us to observe a greater diversity of fauna and flora species. This is one of the best places in Darwin to see Northern Rosellas and on previous excursions Spotted Tree Monitors and Frill-necked Lizards have been highlights. The Wet Season is also a time of abundance for many so expect to see these as well.

Regardless of whether you have just begun your journey of discovering the Top End's fauna and flora or you're an experienced observer, field trips offer wonderful opportunities to nourish and share your interests. We hope you're able to join us.

Please note most of the path is a well made track but depending on weather conditions there may be a short section with very shallow water.

Meet: in the carpark adjacent to the picnic area.

Bring: Insect repellent as mosquitoes and biting midges may be present. Wear closed shoes and come prepared for possible wet conditions.

Don't forget: your camera and if you have them, binoculars

Photos: An amazing diversity of life, all taken at Charles Darwin NP on February 11, 2018 by Tissa Ratnayeke.

Nature Territory - February 2018 Page 3 January Field Trip Report East Point Monsoon Vine Forest Trail by Diana Lambert

In spite of wild and woolly weather during the previous night and again in the morning, the heavens above dutifully cleared around 8 am to welcome 28 keen birders to NTFNC?s Inaugural Field Trip for 2018 at the East Point Monsoon Forest Trail. After a warm welcome to 6 enthusiastic people attending their first NTFNC Field Trip, the large group split into 3 smaller groups ? one group comprising the children, their parents and grandparents, and the other 2 comprising the remaining adults. It was delightful for all to see the young ones being introduced to a new nature experience and being encouraged to observe their natural environment. Group entry into the vine forest was staggered, with the very young birders diligently bringing up the rear. This enabled greater ease of access to any of the natural phenomena spotted along the Trail. Amazingly, within 10 metres of entering the undergrowth and with much delight, people in the first group spied an elusive Rainbow Pitta! Unfortunately, most people in the second group did not manage to glimpse it on this occasion. Many participants were surprised to see the flying 5-6 metres above the ground. Those who failed to sight it on this occasion were forced to walk considerably further along the Trail to get their sighting of this colourful, endemic bird. For most of the 2.5 hour walk, participants were accompanied by a light to medium drizzle . Undoubtedly, these weather conditions contributed to the number of bird species seen. Many of the birds that the participants expected to find in the forest were wisely hiding in drier, warmer locations and refused to show themselves. Several notable species that were not seen yet were very distinctly heard included the Rose-crowned Fruit-dove and the Green-backed Gerygone. Walking within the cofines of the forest made it difficult for each birder to see the particular species calling and/ or identified. However, there usually appeared to be an opportunity to see the same bird species further on along the Trail. Notably, because the conditions were somewhat difficult, much generosity of spirit and good-heartedness was shown by all to ensure as many people as possible sighted each bird. Some light relief from the darkness of the forest and its closeness was experienced when the Trail brought everyone to 2 or 3 wide, open spaces. These open spaces provided ample opportunity to observe open woodland birds such as the Northern and the Australasian Figbird. Our walk along the Monsoon Vine Forest Trail took a couple of hours to complete. Upon reaching the bicycle track running parallel with Ludmilla Bay, the whole group turned left and walked until reaching the bitumen road which led them down past the War Museum to their cars. Within seconds of reaching the carpark, the heavens opened up with a heavy down pouring . Only a few dryish people gathered together to enjoy a very late morning tea and to ruminate upon the birds both seen and unseen. Overall, whilst the Black Butcherbird, the Grey Whistler and the Satin Flycatcher were decided stand-out sightings, undoubtedly the ?find? for most people who partook on this excursion was the well-known, not always easily seen, very photogenic Rainbow Pitta. Black Butcherbird. Photo: Tissa Ratnayeke

Page 4 Nature Territory - February 2018 Bird list from East Point field trip:

Rainbow Pitta Black Butcherbird Whistling Kite

Green Oriole Australasian Figbird Little Friarbird

Satin flycatcher Northern Fantail Bar-shouldered Dove

White-breasted Sea-eagle Torresian Imperial Pigeon Little Corella

Grey Whistler Orange-footed Scrub-fowl Bush Stone-curlew

Forest Kingfisher Rose-crowned Fruitdove (heard only) Brown Honeyeater Varied Triller Green-backed Gerygone (heard only) Rufous-banded Honeyeater

Bits N' Pieces

- National Geographic (Jan 18 edition) has declared 2018 the Year of the Bird. Denise reports that the author of the article, Jon Franzen came to the Top End in 2011 and she was his guide. The following link takes you to the article and interview of this trip http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2011/09/15/3318459.htm. - FrogID is a national citizen science project that is helping us learn more about what is happening to Australia?s frogs. All around the country, people are recording frog calls with nothing more than a smartphone. Discover more about this ground-breaking project and get instructions on how to download the app at: https:/ / www.frogid.net.au/

- Birdlife Australia: A network for bird enthusiasts. https://www.networkbirdlife.org/

Upcoming Field Nat Activities March Meeting Wed 14 - Mangrove Molluscs - Adam Bourke

March Field Trip Sat 17 - Frogs at Howard Springs Sand Plain - Ian Morris

Nature Territory - February 2018 Page 5 Book Review A Guide to Wildlife and Protected Areas of the Top End, Lindley McKay Review by Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow

When I first began producing fauna books in the late 1980s I was pleasantly surprised to find some local people were very interested and knowledgeable. As an alderman on Darwin City Council from 1981?1984, I found that few others knew anything about our wildlife, or cared (except when it came to barramundi and fishing!). But those attitudes weren?t confined to the Council. In 1987 Hilary Thompson?s and my book Common Birds of the Darwin Area was seized by customs on its return from the printer in Singapore. The officers thought it was pornography. Ignorance was also rife in the tourism industry. But after years of hearing some pretty fanciful stuff from the mouths of tour operators and guides, I thought the Northern Territory Tourist Commission had at last got it right in 1991 when they produced a beautiful little booklet that mentioned our wildlife, only to find the writer, a tour operator, was implying that the dingo was a marsupial! So in 1993 I published Fauna of Kakadu and the Top End. The book covered mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and though written in an easy-to-read style with anecdotes, humour and a little sex, was a serious field guide, so much so that it was a ?core? text of the University of New South Wales summer school field program in the Top End for fifteen years. But I couldn?t win. True to form, the Northern Territory News reviewed it under the heading ?Sex and violence?. Top Enders these days are better-informed and interested, and in a wide range of wildlife, and so Lindley McKay?s A Guide to Wildlife and Protected Areas of the Top End (2017) is most timely. This exceptional reference book covers an almost unbelievable 700 species including invertebrates ? among them gastropods, and , and vertebrates ? fishes, as well as amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals. It delves into the parks and habitats where various species are found and mentions some of the threats to conservation of our wildlife. Some introduced species such as the Sri Lankan Dung Beetle and American Cockroach are mentioned [On the subject of members of the Blattodea, I must voice my disappointment at the omission of one of the prettiest native cockroaches, Megazosteria patula, with its pearl-iridescent carapace lined with buff]. Descriptions of habitat are supported in the case of each species by comprehensive maps giving range and expected range. One gripe often heard in regard to photographs of birds in field guides is that they do not show all the field marks essential to identification. A very helpful feature of this book is that many species of birds and other fauna are illustrated by a number of photographs showing different views of the same animal or its different colour forms. The entry on Roth?s Tree Frog is one such entry. These common little frogs may be heavily mottled dark brown, or tan and fawn, or just a plain unpatterned clay-brown.

... continued next page

Page 6 Nature Territory - February 2018 Despite the omission of my favourite cockroach it was a joy to see entries on so many of my other best-loved ? Northern Knob-tailed Gecko being one. Some years ago while at Kudjekbinj (Baby Dreaming), western Arnhem Land, with Paul Horner and curators from the Museum of Victoria, I caught a very large specimen. When Wayne Longmire showed it to Esther Managku, the most senior traditional custodian, she gasped at its size. And then with a grin she said to me in language: ?But you should have seen its mother!? One criticism I have of this field guide is the lack of mention of ?transformer? weeds, particularly Gamba Grass, whereas two pages are dedicated to the Cane Toad. While this amphibian pest can cause local extinctions of various species such as Merten?s Water Monitor and Freshwater Crocodile, Gamba Grass is removing virtually all fauna, and flora, from the landscape, leaving nothing but fields of tall grass. Its devastating effect can be seen throughout Darwin River to Batchelor and beyond and east to Kakadu. Despite this one criticism, the book succeeds and I have no hesitation in recommending it to all. Bibliographic details Title: A Guide to Wildlife and Protected Areas of the Top End Author: Lindley McKay Publisher: Environment Centre NT ISBN: 0646945130 Retail price: Approx. $60.00

2017 Northern Territory Field Naturalists? Club Wildlife Photographic Competition Flora category. Runner-up Lesley Alford. Here is the story behind Lesley?s photograph entitled ?Osbeckia australiana at Rapid Creek? reproduced with her permission on the front cover of this newsletter: ?Osbeckia australiana is endemic to Australia and only occurs in the Top End of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region in Western Australia. It is in the family Melastomataceae and grows in moist conditions near waterways. This photo was taken in the upper Rapid Creek catchment on the Darwin International Airport?s Rapid Creek Reserve. It is unusual to find this species growing in its natural habitat within the Darwin urban area. Rapid Creek is Darwin?s only significant freshwater system. The Rapid Creek Reserve encompasses monsoon forest, wetlands, woodlands, grasslands and transitional communities. The Gurambai Trail, which runs through the reserve, including alongside the Osbeckia australiana population, provides a fantastic introduction to these habitats and their wildlife in the context of the Rapid Creek catchment. Gurambai is the Larrakia name for Rapid Creek. The Rapid Creek Reserve is a special and unique place at an international airport in a capital city.?

Nature Territory - February 2018 Page 7 Beast of the Month ? Clever Fishing Spider Text and photos by Adam Bourke

As the name implies, the Clever Fishing Spider (Dolomedes facetus) is adept at catching small animals in water. Using microscopic mechanoreceptors around hairs on the tips of its legs, spiders hunt by sensing for vibrations on the water surface. Once prey is detected, the spider pounces, snatching the victim from the water and quickly immobilizing it with their powerful chelicerae (fangs). This species of fishing spider is well known for its ability in catching aquatic insects, tadpoles and small fish; the venom is toxic to fish, allowing spiders to catch prey many times their own size. However, the latest research by Sydney Uni out at Middle Point, NT has revealed the Clever Fishing An immature male Clever Fishing Spider (Dolomedes facetus) Spider is also an active predator of Cane Toad tadpoles and resting on the surface of a pond. metamorphs ? a world first for this group of spiders. The Clever Fishing Spider is a member of the Pisauridae, a family of spiders in which the is still poorly resolved. Growing to about 70 mm in leg span, this species lives along streams, rivers and freshwater lakes in coastal areas throughout Australia. Although the Clever Fishing Spider hunts mostly on the water?s surface it can also hunt underwater. As with most other members of the family, the dense hairs around the body and legs form a thin ?plastron? air bubble when spiders dive beneath the surface.This feature allows enables the Clever Fishing Spider and other members of the genus to stay submerged for periods of up to an hour

Close up showing the powerful chelicerae (fangs) the spider uses to catch and immobilize small aquatic insects, fish and tadpoles.

References: Cabrera-Guzmán, E., Crossland, M. R., & Shine, R. (2015). Invasive cane toads as prey for native predators in tropical Australia. Herpetological Monographs, 29(1), pp. 28-39. Framenau, V. W., Baehr, B., & Zborowski, P. (2014). A Guide to the Spiders of Australia. New Holland Publishers. Queensland Museum (2017). Find out about: Spiders, Water or Fishing Spider. http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Find+out+about/Animals+of+Queensland/Spiders/Modern+Spiders+Infraorder+Araneomorphae/Water+Fishing+or+Nursery+ Spiders/ Fishing+or+Water+Spider# .WlWF8KiWZPY Webpage accessed on 11/ 1/ 2018.

Page 8 Nature Territory - February 2018 Chitter Chatter A small sample of sightings and question/ answers received over the month via the Club?s email address and Facebook page. Enjoy!

While inspecting one of his backyard ponds, Adam Bourke noticed that a carnivorous bladderwort, (Utricularia aurea) an aquatic plant, had caught a small Green Tree Frog tadpole in one of its specialised bladder traps. Predation of small aquatic animals is well-known in this genus of rootless plants which use the bodies of captured animals as a source of nitrogen for growth.

Simon Ferguson provided the following photo with the question ?milkwood tree in the Berry Springs area, does anyone have any knowledge of the borer that does this? The tree was living when the borers invaded". Tissa Ratnayeke provided: ?Just spoke with Graham Brown, former Curator of Insects at the NT Museum. Graham advises these are caused by the larvae of a large longicorn beetle from the genus Monochamus in the family Cerambycidae. Apparently they usually infest dead or dying trees.?

Carlos Rodriguez Martinez captured this picture of a Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) at the Nightcliff foreshore. The cockatoos are enjoying the cones from the Casuarina equisetifolia .

Nature Territory - February 2018 Page 9 Chitter Chatter Tissa Ratnayeke: Here's one of the Top End's larger and it has a caterpillar that looks like bird poo. The Canopus Swallowtail ( fuscus canopus) attains a wingspan of approximately 90 mm. They are common in tropical monsoon forests and well established, shaded gardens. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of citrus and related plants. In their early stages the caterpillars are a shiny brown and white, somewhat resembling wet bird poo, however they turn green as they mature. This pupa has almost completed its metamorphosis, and well developed wings can clearly be seen, so maybe, as the sun rose the following morning a new was born ...

Jan Allen: ?Good season for Leichhardt Grasshoppers in Kakadu - have never seen so many!?

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